The VISES of Garage Journal

[bigcaddy]

My newest score of the day. A Craftsman made by Columbian and a PanaVise hobby vise.

There is some rust on that Craftsman but just give me a few days. There isn't a mark on that thing anywhere. No dings or saw marks, no flat teeth. The PO must of used it to shape balsa wood for models or something.

Both will be cleaned up and sold to fund the purchase of much larger pieces of rusty metal.

 

[Catalyze]

Ricleh - very nice crop of vises!! It reminds me of a line of chorus girls in Vegas....maybe I am spending too much time in the shop lately.....

Bigcaddy - when will your madness stop? If that comet that smacked Russia had a Martian vise on it....you would be out there looking through the rubble trying to trade for it
Craig

 

[maddawg308]

Working on a partial restoration of one of the vises I got in the military scrapyard late last year. This is a Desmond Simplex C43, it had two coats of paint and rust, 2 hours with a Milwaukee Hole Shooter and a wire wheel brush took care of stripping it down to bare metal. The vise is in really nice shape once all the **** was removed. The handle is slightly bent, and the two swivel lock-downs and handles are pretty well boogered up, will have to replace the latter but I don't have the proper tools and skills to remove and replace the main handle at this time.

Monday I plan on getting a replacement for the two lock-downs, put it back together and repaint gloss black with a clear coat over it. This is a resale vise, after I sell it I plan to work on the Wilton C2 I have in the shed....

 

[Just_George]

here is the pic in case it goes away

Mine now! Not sure why, other than it's interesting and for $20, how could I go wrong? Need to clean it up and try to find more info on it - no mfg name that I can see, just a patent date of 1914. I'll try to post photos when I get it cleaned up a bit...

 

[barney rubble]

My Wilton vises

The cream of the crop. I beat the hell out of this cheap Chinese vise for many years.

A little off topic but I like that puller cabinet a lot.

 

[mcmlvif100]

A little off topic but I like that puller cabinet a lot.

X2

 

[srmofo]

My newest score of the day. A Craftsman made by Columbian and a PanaVise hobby vise.

There is some rust on that Craftsman but just give me a few days. There isn't a mark on that thing anywhere. No dings or saw marks, no flat teeth. The PO must of used it to shape balsa wood for models or something.

Both will be cleaned up and sold to fund the purchase of much larger pieces of rusty metal.

Those pana vises are great. I had my wife get me one for christmas this year. Ive used it to hold circuit boards while I solder. There is also a bunch of different heads and bases and its almost all interchangeable. They're like the lego sets of the vise world. I wouldnt mind having another if the price is right. Just shoot me a PM with your selling price.

I love the puller cabinet as well. Can we get a few more pics of it?

 

[CanUK]

I picked this up for £10 at the local car boot sale today, and thought it was interesting enough to post up here. The company is still in business (now making "humane slaughter equipment, captive bolt stunners and cable spikers") so I'll email them to see if they can provide any history/info:

View media item 28659
View media item 28660
View media item 28661
Edit: More info

View media item 28700
View media item 28698
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Also picked this up for £5. No name or makrings visible on it yet, and it's obviously in pretty rough shape:

View media item 28662

 

[Saiga]

CL Find today

 

[87Pomona]

CL Find today

Looks like a Reed/Craftsman, good find!

 

[Mark in Indiana]

What are the 2 vises on either side of your new Craftsman?

 

[SweetD]

CL Find today

Nice! I have a 5187, also from the List of Craig, about two years ago, $50:

Dave

 

[I van putski]

Sweetd that's the best vise craftsman ever had. Made by reed. Very nice!

Saiga, yep that's a reed! Awesome vises guys.

 

[Saiga]

Prentiess #5



Reed #105

 

[bluebolt]

Nice! I have a 5187, also from the List of Craig, about two years ago, $50:

Dave

How come I never can find a nice Craftsman machine vise? I will just have to make so with my Reeds, Wiltons, Columbians and others.

 

[BIG Eric]

I was given a Wilton 400S a few years ago but it looks different from some of the others. It is a 72 model year and here are some pictures. SO what do you all think?

 

[bigcaddy]

It looks good! Thats a clean little Wilton you have there.

 

[KMScott]

Look how nice the jaws are. Wilton had the heat treat right back then, I checked the hardness on my vise just like yours and they were 55 HRC and I can see yours are the same. Is this model the only that has the HD on the casting? That is a real nice vise.

 

[C.BRAXMAIER]

Finished these 3 this weekend..

 

[C.BRAXMAIER]

Also finished this one up lastnight...

 

[TerryH]

^^^ Those are beautiful!! Nice work. ^^^

 

[woodardhsd]

I'm going to take a look at this craigslist find tonight. Does it look promising, or total ****? All I was told is it is an older 5 1/2" craftsman

 

[87Pomona]

You can see the Craftsman name in the first picture.

Not **** but not as good as most of the vises in this thread.

 

[maddawg308]

Mostly done with the Desmond Simplex. Here's a few pics.

 

[gabbyduffy]

Can anybody identify this vise?........ its looks like a old chase parker but I can'nt find any parker ads with this vise....... Thanks for the info..

 

[I van putski]

I'm going to take a look at this craigslist find tonight. Does it look promising, or total ****? All I was told is it is an older 5 1/2" craftsman

That's a good vise. It is Columbian made. Just don't pay a lot for it.

 

[CharlieHo]

Hi all, I may be able to pick up a Hollands #15 for around $100.

I can't tell the condition of the jaws that well.

Am I correct in thinking the jaws on a Holland are forged into and not a separate part?

 

[Saiga]

IMHO 100.00 is too much unless it,s in great shape. then start at 40.00 Here,s a 25 with rough jaws i got for 20.00




just my 2 cents

 

[bl00]

Can anybody identify this vise?.

Maybe an old Yost.

 

[87Pomona]

Hi all, I may be able to pick up a Hollands #15 for around $100.

I can't tell the condition of the jaws that well.

Am I correct in thinking the jaws on a Holland are forged into and not a separate part?

Correct, they are forged in.

 

[demoman]

If you had nothing else it would be a 20.00 vise, tops. I get these little craftsman vises a lot in the scrap yard and they break right behind the front jaw if they see any action. I should post pics of all the broken vises we get like the Kobalt, big 6, and other chinese made junk. What I can't believe is that people will go back out after breaking their junk vise and buy a new shiney chinese vise and really think they have something. I sold a very nice Rock Island to a guy who had went through 3 before he bought a real one.

I'm going to take a look at this craigslist find tonight. Does it look promising, or total ****? All I was told is it is an older 5 1/2" craftsman

 

[CharlieHo]

IMHO 100.00 is too much unless it,s in great shape. then start at 40.00 Here,s a 25 with rough jaws i got for 20.00




just my 2 cents

I skipped on it. I have been searching for a couple months for a decent vise for my garage. Nothing local, and shipping kills any decent online deals.

My father drug a large 5" vise home from an auction for me a while back. He didn't even look very close at it. It was broken and had been (poorly) repaired. It broke again the first time I used it.

I'm afraid I may end up picking up a cheap eBay special for the time being. :/

 

[Mark in Indiana]

I skipped on it. I have been searching for a couple months for a decent vise for my garage. Nothing local, and shipping kills any decent online deals.

My father drug a large 5" vise home from an auction for me a while back. He didn't even look very close at it. It was broken and had been (poorly) repaired. It broke again the first time I used it.

I'm afraid I may end up picking up a cheap eBay special for the time being. :/

Just be patient. You will find what you're looking for through estate auctions, commercial auctions, yard sales and local CL. Swap meets can also be good. The knowledge and experience on this forum will help you find a good one. In fact, there's enough knowledge on this forum to become a PHD in vises.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

If you had nothing else it would be a 20.00 vise, tops. I get these little craftsman vises a lot in the scrap yard and they break right behind the front jaw if they see any action. I should post pics of all the broken vises we get like the Kobalt, big 6, and other chinese made junk. What I can't believe is that people will go back out after breaking their junk vise and buy a new shiney chinese vise and really think they have something. I sold a very nice Rock Island to a guy who had went through 3 before he bought a real one.

Funny you should say that. I see guys buying the junk vises from HF and the big box stores all the time. However, seeing what little I've paid for good American vintage iron, there seems to be little interest in it...except in our group.

 

[kukko]

I see guys buying the junk vises from HF and the big box stores all the time. However, seeing what little I've paid for good American vintage iron, there seems to be little interest in it...except in our group.

That's because the old stuff is not NEW! and doesn't come with a WARRANTY! and you can't use your CREDIT CARD! to get AIRLINE MILES! and you don't get that NEW VISE SMELL! when you buy a nice vintage vise.

I've been there though when I needed a vise "right now" and did not have the time to hunt a nice vintage/high quality/USA vise. I bought a decent Wilton (china) vise and used that thing and it held up well, but after I got a vintage USA Wilton, the 'box store' (Northern Tool) Wilton got sold on CL. Now all I will consider buying are USA vises, and my collec.... uh, variety of different sizes and styles that I need for various shop applications (yeah, that's the ticket!) seems to keep getting bigger.

 

[autopts]

Also finished this one up lastnight...

Chris! You have a kick *** collection!!

 

[Outlawmws]

Can anybody identify this vise?........ its looks like a old chase parker but I can'nt find any parker ads with this vise....... Thanks for the info..

I don't think it's a Parker; Reed or Rock Island? hard to tell.

 

[mopar66]

Picked up this Wilton for $50 this morning.

 

[bluebolt]

Well this is some old import vise I guess. Saw it at the flea market, guy wanted $100 for it. Too rich for a broke guy LOL. Unusual swivel jaw vise, note the little winged screw on one side to prevent it from swiveling.

 

[spongerich]

you don't get that NEW VISE SMELL! when you buy a nice vintage vise.

Where can I buy a can of that stuff?